Custom Imagery for Your Business with Bonnie Dickson

Today we are excited to share our conversation with photographer and visibility strategist, Bonnie Dickson. She speaks about using photography in your brand strategy and in your story, humanizing your content and using original photos to help tell your story in a way that truly stands out.

Connect with Ruth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdickson/
Connect with Miranda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirandaoconnor-mba/
Learn more about The Art of Storytelling: https://www.theartofstorytelling.com/

Transcript

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The know like and trust factor is a very coveted feeling that someone who is searching for your company would be looking for. They want to make sure they're working with a human. Human connection is so incredibly important. And there's a lot of unspoken body language, human connection that comes through imagery, just even in a simple headshot or portrait of someone. Welcome to Storytelling for Engagement, the podcast where we talk about all things creative and content related to make your story unforgettable. I’m your host, Miranda O’Connor from The Art of Storytelling, and I’m excited to start this storytelling journey with you. Today I have Bonnie Dickson. She's a photographer and visibility strategist, and she is going to talk to us today about using photography in your brand strategy and in your story, humanizing your content and using original photos to help tell your story. Bonnie, why don't you tell us a little intro about how you became a photographer? Sure thing. Thank you, Miranda, for having me here today. I became a photographer because I actually used to work in visual effects for feature film, and that's where I really learned as a digital artist how to tell a story through imagery. And as a digital compositor or a digital artist, in my training I learned all the principles

of photography: 1:21

lighting, capturing texture, composition, perspective, all of those really fun things for me. And I really enjoyed the storytelling aspect of it. So that was how I transitioned into photography. Okay. What was your first camera? Well, my very first camera was actually a shoe box, so it was a high school project where you made a camera out of a shoebox. And I was super creative in high school and photographed mine in my friend’s shoes with our shoe box camera. Nice. Do you remember your first professional digital camera? Yes. It was a Nikon D80. Very fun little crop sensor. And, yeah, it served me well. Yeah. Nice. So, Bonnie, tell us, what does it mean to be a visibility strategist? Like, how would you even come up with that idea of calling yourself a visibility strategist? That’s a great question. And so as a visibility strategist, the definition of it is that I help businesses stand out and be seen through their imagery. So if somebody Google searches let's say, a coffee shop near me, somebody is looking for that delicious coffee with that little leaf pattern on top. They need to be able to see exactly what they're looking for and then they're going to say, oh, I'm going to go there. So the visibility strategy came about, you know, helping business owners utilize the correct images with the strategy of showing their ideal customers exactly what they're looking for. And so many businesses will have photos taken but then not know how to use them or where to use them. And so I thought there's so many marketing strategies, financial strategies, all these things, but these beautiful photos go to waste. And I wanted to help with that. So that's how the visibility strategy came about. Tell me what you think about building the know like and trust factors by using real, authentic photography instead of stock photography. This is another great question. So the know like and trust factor is a very coveted feeling that someone who is searching for your company would be looking for. They want to make sure that, you know, in this world of AI. and all the things that are digital and automated, they want to make sure they're working with a human. Human connection is so incredibly important. And there's a lot of unspoken body language, human connection that comes through imagery, just even in a simple headshot or portrait of someone. If they're not looking at you, you don't get the eye contact, things like this. So it's really important to use custom imagery of your business, of your team, of your staff, of yourself as the business owner on your marketing material. So through your website, your Google profile, your social media, email newsletters. And by utilizing imagery specifically of you and your business and your team, you're helping build that human connection with people who are looking for your business versus a generic stock photo that they might have seen somewhere else. And then it gives them this doubt of, Hmm, is this an actual company or did somebody just put a website together? And we don't ever want that doubt because a second there's doubt. Guess what? They're going to go to your competitor. Yeah, absolutely. And I do find if you go to a website and, you know, you might kind of know I think I know this company, they might be local, but you start to look at the website and if there's no photos of actual people or places or products and it's just text that that I find is very disheartening, I start to feel like, okay, maybe this, maybe these people aren't actually different or unique and there's nothing special about them because they're not showing me anything about themselves or even their faces or pictures of their staff or anything. So I like to do my research and really go through a website and see there are real people. I can now find these people on LinkedIn and it's the same people. So I do think that having those images are really important for building your brand. I agree. And that's a really good point, is once you see these people on their website and then you can make that connection with LinkedIn and, you know, these are real people, then when you meet with them to actually hire them for their business or purchase their product or service, when you do meet them, you have that sense of, Oh, I've met them before, it feels familiar. And as humans, that's comforting to us, right? It's it's okay. Yeah, I know this person because I've seen them before. And that's so valuable as a business owner to be able to have that connection. And guess what? It happened because you had a photo. Like, how simple can it be? Yeah. Yeah, it's absolutely true. Because. And you'll see some people on LinkedIn who maybe like LinkedIn influencers because I don't really do other social media influencers, but there are people on LinkedIn and they do a lot of personal branding and there's lots of photos of themselves and you think, okay, what does this person selling? Because they're not selling themselves? Why do they keep putting photos of themselves? It's really just to build that familiarity and that recall in your in your mind, any time you see it, you keep thinking, Oh, yeah, I know this person, I know what they do. I like them. I see them all the time. And it's something that, you know, I want to make more effort with next year as well, is just more personal photography, branding and using that to get people to recall who I am and what I do. Yes. And that's so important. A lot of people who are utilizing imagery very well for their brand, what they're doing is they're showing who they are through emotion. And that's so important because a lot of the public usually purchases or shops based on feelings. You know, I want to reward myself by buying myself something nice today or I'm in physical pain and I need to find a chiropractor and, oh, they look very friendly and they can take my pain away, you know? So by seeing these different emotions visually that people are putting out, their business owners are showing in their imagery, it's helping to build that connection and that's that human know like and trust factor that the more of that that people see, the more comfortable they're going to feel to want to purchase or work with you. Yeah, absolutely. And I think photography is a good way to get started with that because it's just a lot easier and it's just one level, right? It's just the still photo. I think people are a little more intimidated by video because now they have to actually speak and look good continuously for many seconds. Whereas, you know, you you can make the photo really good and give them just those perfect photos that they want, whereas, you know, it's a little more awkward with video until you get more comfortable with it. And, you know, especially if you work with a with a good video crew that will make you look and sound the best that you can. So I like when people will get started with photography because I know it means that it's just the first step in getting closer to doing video. Absolutely. I fully agree with that, Miranda, because as business owners, we typically are not in front of the camera. I mean, you and I are, but most businesses are not. We’ll take a chiropractor, for example. They're in front of their patients. They're helping take pain away. So to ask them to be on camera is usually an uncomfortable feeling. So having photography taken is a great first step and a great way to practice getting comfortable. And that's one of the things I love doing as a visibility strategist and photographer is working with them on, okay, what are the things that make you most uncomfortable about being in front of a camera? I used to be uncomfortable in front of a camera. I took lots of practice and I've learned lots of ways to work with people to help them feel at ease. And not all sweaty and nervous. Because if you're if you're nervous or uncomfortable, it's going to show in the picture. And then people will feel that when they see that image later. And and so it's a really great first step to then getting comfortable and then going into the next step of video, working with a great crew, as you're saying, And getting more comfortable on camera as a business owner. So it's great to utilize both because we live in a very visual age, right? We’re always judging a book by its cover where we're scrolling on Instagram or through websites or Google searches. And so we have to have those visuals and it's so important to work with a photographer or video crew that can help support business owners through that so that they feel comfortable. Yeah, absolutely. So, Bonnie, when you are preparing for a shoot, what are the steps like? Do you go through do you make a shot list before and make sure you get the right images based on what the client needs? Absolutely. So utilizing that visibility strategy. No two businesses are alike everybody needs to show something different because we want to show what is unique about that particular business so that when they Google search, people are going to want to go to them. So the process is really a lot of discovery, working with them on their brand messaging, their brand values, why they're a business owner, why they wanted to get into this and what their goals are, and then also who are their ideal customers, you know, who do they want to work with? And once I have that information, it's then creating an image list or short list of what marketing materials do you use? Are you on social media? Do you have an email newsletter? Are you looking to revamp your website? Do you have a big launch or print campaign happening now? Where are the places you're planning to use it? And really over the next six months, because photography is an investment, but you want to utilize those images to the best of their ability. I can't stand when photos just live on a hard drive and never see the light of day. You know, you want to use and put them in front of people. So it's working through that strategy plan of what images do you need, when and where do you need to use them? And then it's actually coming out and taking the pictures. And then I think when we were talking before you said that you give them a package and all of the photos are formatted to the certain sizes or you give them like some instructions on which size image or which image number is for different for Instagram, different for LinkedIn, different for print, obviously. And I know that's a difficult part for clients because if you just give them one high-res image now they have to figure out, how do I resize this? It's too big to send. You know, it's not the right size or shape for LinkedIn. So tell us about that other special service that you give where you make everything the right size in the right format? Yeah, absolutely. So all business owners have a different level of tech savvy. And so some business owners, depending on their needs, they say, just give me the high res original and I can run with it. Or I have a team in my media department that can run with it and do all the things. No problem. There's other business owners. It might just be them or they might have a really small team and they might need things formatted for Facebook, Instagram, the website banner, that's like the longer format, things like that. And so what I do is I create a, a checklist or guide that says, use image headshot001.jpg on LinkedIn in, you know, November or March, whichever timeframe we had determined in their strategy that they should be uploading it. Use this image specifically on your website banner so that they have this easy checklist that they can just look at and really simplify the process of making sure those images get used and in the right places. And I provide all the images formatted just for that ease of use. Yeah, yeah, that's excellent. That's really a good service because I think that is where people kind of they get stuck and then they don't actually utilize it. And you know, as creatives, that's the worst thing is if the work you make does not actually get used. The entire point of what I do with the visibility is to help businesses be seen. And if they're not using the images, they're not going to be seen. So I really want them to stand out online. Yeah, I agree. I mean, I have the same thing with my video clients. Sometimes they know what they can do with the video files and then other times they have no idea what to do. And you really have to you know, just do a little bit of handholding so that they can get what they need out of it. And that is, that's where we bring value to our clients. So if you're going to do some kind of customized stock photo collection, what does that mean? Like if there's a business and like, yeah, if they're selling coffee, what's like, what are the things that you would go and suggest to businesses? Because sometimes entrepreneurs don't actually think of what would make a great shot. So how do you help them put together this customized stock photo collection? So it is important for all businesses to have their own little custom catalog of images ready to access any time. And so that's what we call the custom stock photo collection. And so instead of utilizing stock photography online, these are your own stock images. And so what you really want in there, if you're a brick and mortar location, like a coffee shop, first and foremost, you want a clear picture of the exterior of your location. You want it so that as soon as people physically see the sign or the front door, maybe you have like a cute little yellow door to your cafe. You want people to see that in the image so that when they arrive, they know, Oh, I'm at the right place. The next is you want pictures of what it looks like as soon as you walk in the front door. So do you see the counter with the baristas there and all the little scones and muffins and the coffee machines behind? What does the environment feel like? What does it look like? That way people get a sense of, you know, is it inviting, is it cute? Is it interesting? And the next you want pictures around the space showing is there an area to sit? Is it a grab and go? What is the overall vibe? And then next in line would be pictures of the actual baristas, the pictures of the owner, and usually interacting and holding the cups of coffee or making coffee, really showing you what it is that cafe serves best. And then the money shot is you want a really clear picture of the actual coffee, the actual scones, all that delicious stuff. So when we're looking for that coffee with that cute little leaf pattern, we just saw it in the picture. And so those are just a handful of the most important images to have. bonus images in a custom stock image catalog that a business owner could have would be a little closeups on details. You know, really getting in close on the textures of a scone, or the nice bubbly foam in a latte, things like that. Images of the owner or baristas interacting with customers and whatnot, just showing the overall vibe and atmosphere of the cafe. And I guess that's kind of telling the story of the cafe. Yes. Visually, it tells the story through mostly emotion and within 3 to 7 seconds, because in scrolling culture, that's all we really have is to try to capture someone's attention in that short few seconds. So that's the quickest way to do that. What are your thoughts on authenticity? So, like, for us for video, I like to use the actual the actual people, you know, the business owners, the employees. I try to not use paid models in any way if we can, because that's going to get more towards advertising and not really storytelling and brand development. So how do you keep the authenticity in every photo that you take? That's really important because authenticity again works towards that know like and trust factor. So if you see the actual baristas in the in the cafe, in the image, then when you as a customer walk into the cafe and you see that same barista, you think, Great, I've seen them before, they look just as friendly in person as they did in their picture. And that builds that know like and trust factor because you, although you've never met them before that moment, you feel like you know them because you've seen them. And so it's the difference between walking into just a coffee shop or somewhere that might automatically feel like home because it's comfortable and familiar. So if you use models, you lose that connection. And so a great place where you could use models is if you sell products specifically. So that might be somewhere where the focus is on the product and not on the people that you're interacting with. But if it's a cafe, a chiropractor office, law firm, whatever it may be, you want to show the actual staff, the actual people, and another way to keep it authentic, and especially in headshot portraits and things like that is I often say don't overdo the makeup, don't overdo the hair. You know, you want to show up on screen like you would normally. I don't wear a lot of makeup. I wear lipstick on these kind of zoom calls. But otherwise, if you meet me in person, I'm going to look just like this. And that's so important because as a digital artist, I can Photoshop and tweak anything, but I want you to look like you. So we get that coveted know, like and trust factor when they see you in person. And I was going to ask you more about, you know, keeping on keeping it authentic, but having makeup. Do you, do you do makeup or do you bring a makeup artist or do you let the clients do their own makeup? I prefer for the clients to do their own makeup. I can bring in a makeup artist. I work with wonderful makeup artists when needed, but ideally the client would do their own makeup so that they look how they would in their every day, so that when you meet them on on a Tuesday or Friday, they look the same. It's not, you know, I'm going to a fancy wedding and must get all all dolled up kind of makeup. We don't want that. We want you to look like you in the every day. But I can bring in makeup artists if that's needed. But I've had some people say, Oh, Bonnie, I can't have my headshot yet. My hair coloring has grown out and I need to fix my roots. And but the best day to do their photos was later that week, and they wouldn't have time to get to the hairdresser. In those situations, not a problem. We'll still do the photos and with my digital background as a compositor and digital artist, I actually paint back in the roots. Makes it look like you got to the hair salon even though you didn't. But still keeping it authentic. So there's little things that I can do that can help support your look so that you feel good and still get the pictures when you need them. Not that we can pull that off with video very easily. So, okay, so one more question. What I find is my clients, when we're doing video, sometimes they don't really know what to expect. So on the day of a shoot, you know, I've had people say, okay, you know, what do we need to do? Do we need to move everything? Do we need to clean everything? Like what do we need to do? And sometimes they don't actually need to do as much as they think they have to do. But in your situation, like, what do you require from them? Like, would you require if it was a coffee shop? Do you want them to... do you want to do the photos while the coffee shop is closed so that there's no customers coming in? Are you going to be setting up a lot of lights? You know, some people get nervous when they think, Oh, this is going to be like a circus with all kinds of stuff all over the place. What do you tell people on like what to expect on the day? Yeah, that's a great question. It's it's so important to create as little disruption as possible. So ideally yes, we'll use the coffee shop example again. Ideally, yes, I would photograph the coffee shop when it's not open to the public so that it's not interfering with their customer service and in preparation, I ask them to just simplify. So if you have a lot of things on the countertop, let's remove a lot of things and just have a few things so that it's not visually cluttered. I also ask business owners to remove any seasonality, so if it's, you know, the holiday season and there's Christmas trees or signage for that, let's remove that. If it's, you know, a spring theme, let's, you know, everything is in spring colors. Let's kind of remove that and make it season neutral. That way the images can be used throughout the year. So we're just looking to simplify and make sure the images have longevity that way. Unless the campaign, their marketing needs are really specific to a particular season, then that's different. But it's really about simplifying. And when it comes to lighting equipment and things like that, I do bring things in case it's a really dark environment and needs it, but I don't typically use it too much because I want to capture in the photos what the actual environment feels like so that when someone walks in, it feels the same. If I add a lot of lighting and brighten up the place and it feels bright and then they walk in and it's kind of dark and moody and cozy, it's going to feel like, Am I in the right place? And so we don't want that. We want to keep that authenticity. Yeah, Yeah. And do you find customers who have really gotten on this, this photo branding initiative, do you think they they see the value in it and they continue doing it? Like how often do you get repeat customers who have, you know, decided that this is working for them? How often do they need to refresh? Business owners that see the value in the imagery and their visual first impression online and who have imagery taken, they often come back to me about twice a year, so every six months, because the image catalog that I give them will last them six months. And so it's yeah, it's, they'll usually pick sort of a winter theme and then a warmer month theme. And then they once they've utilized those for a little while, then they come back to me for video, they say okay, we're ready, we’re not so scared now. We've been out there and let's do the next step. Let's tell more of our story and really, you know, continue to create that personal brand. Do you have any client success stories that you might want to share? Yes. So there was a dentist that I photographed her and her team, all women out in the Burlington area, and they were new to the neighborhood and they wanted to, you know, invite more people to come in. And they really cater a lot to families and making sure that children feel comfortable in the dental experience and not scared. And so they needed images for their website, their Google page and so on. And after a year of using the images, I touch base with the owner. I said, you know, how's the foot traffic traffic going? Are you getting more people walking through the door? And she said yes, and that she had so many comments and feedback about the images on their website and how they looked like them and and they just loved the entire experience. And her customer base had more than doubled in that time. And she likened it to using those images on Google and having them the same images as her website and how it was just able to invite people in. And that was on Google my business? Yeah. So if somebody searched for a dentist near me and her location came up that Google profile or that Google Maps, there is her Google my business, and that's where she was able to post the images. Yeah, that's excellent. All right. I think our time is going to come to a close soon. Is there anything else you wanted to add about, you know, using photos to tell your story or branding? I know everyone likes to say a photo is worth a thousand words. Yeah. What are your final thoughts on that? The thoughts are that, quote can't be any truer. An image speaks a thousand words. We live in a society where we do judge a book by its cover visually. And when it comes to your business, if you don't have an image, then you're essentially not using signage. You know, if you are looking for a, you know, let's say you're driving home and you're hungry and you want a slice of pizza, but your windows are rolled up in your car and you drive past a plaza and there's a pizza shop and they don't have a sign outside that says pizza. You're not going to be able to know there's a pizza shop because you can't smell the delicious pizza in the air. But if your windows are up and you drive past and you see a building that says pizza shop, you’re going to go, Oh, that's what I want. I'm hungry. So they view signage to capture your attention. Same thing online. When someone's Google searching for you, your photograph, your imagery, that's your digital signage. And if you don't show people what they're looking for, they're going to miss out on all the awesome things you offer. Excellent. Well, Bonnie, thank you so much. It was really great hearing your perspectives on using photography to tell your brand story. And thank you for being on our podcast today. Thank you for having me. And that concludes another episode of Storytelling for Engagement. If you found value in today’s episode, don’t forget to like and share, and visit our website at theartofstorytelling.com to learn more about video storytelling content.